The Life We Choose
by theshadowswhisper
Summary: Jimmy Cindy and Betty, oh my! enjoy. oh and leave me some reviews, please and thank you!
1. In Mr Neutron's Classroom

Katrina sat in class, fidgeting nervously in her seat. It would be her first day of advanced physics class. Katrina had always loved the steady, easy rhythm of math, the predictability of it all, but she was anxious today. She had never taken an advanced class before, and she was going to be the only sophomore taking physics this year. Her principal herself had signed the special forms transferring her to the more difficult class, by recommendation of her calculus teacher who had called her "a mathematical prodigy". Katrina wasn't sure she was a prodigy, but she had accepted the praise and the promotion with pleasure and a ticklish pride. Now she was having second thoughts.

"_What if I'm not smart enough…."_said a timid little voice in her head. She quickly smothered this thought, and chastised herself for being so doubtful. Still, she felt a little twinge of fear.

"_What if this is a big mistake…" _

Katrina had a feeling that this class was going to be a whole new level of difficult. She licked her lips tensely.

"_Here we go..." _

Just then her teacher walked in. He was tall and thin, with large, intelligent blue eyes. He smiled, greeting the class. Katrina felt her heart speed up.

"Hello class," said the teacher, the smile still tugging at the corners of his lips. He looked mischievous and tender at the same time. His hair was messy, reddish brown, and his eyelashes spread over his white cheek when he smiled. She was staring, she knew it, but couldn't help herself. He turned and winked at her.

"_Ohh, he is so sexy,"_ thought Katrina, positive she had turned a rather unattractive shade of purple.

"My name is Mr. Neutron," continued her teacher, "Welcome to hell." There were chuckles. The students looked at each other, tense and anxious. Was he for real? Mr. Neutron wrote his name on the board and then turned, piercing the silence with his dazzling blue eyes.

"In my class," continued Mr. Neutron, "You will be expected to work hard, learn a lot, and suffer. This class is your new date for every Saturday night from now until June. Will your social life suck? Yes. Will you be sleep deprived from staying up late studying almost every night? Yes. Will you hate me with a burning passion? Yes. Will you're brain be overloaded and stretched to its very limit?" he paused, taking in the scared round eyes of his pupils, "Yes," he said, "But the good news is, hopefully by the end of this class you will have learned something, and you will have reached new heights, and most importantly," he smiled, "you will have conquered a class only the bravest and smartest students dare endure, and you will be that much closer to becoming TRUE scholars." He finished with a flourish. The class was quiet, terrified into silence. Mr. Neutron's presence was quite impressive. He had an air of intelligence and power about him, coupled with an animated charisma that made him seem almost un-human, godlike in his power and knowledge.

Katrina realized that she'd dug her fingernails into her palms, leaving little crescent shaped moons in the flesh.

"Welcome to hell, Katrina," she thought.


	2. Welcome, Mr Estevez

Jimmy observed his class with a scrutinizing eye. They seemed intimidated, he thought, satisfied with himself. Just then he happened to catch sight of a student in the front row. He examined her curiously. She had big brown eyes and soft, light brown hair. The face was round and gentle looking, with glowing pink cheeks over ivory skin, and raspberry lips parted slightly, making her mouth a perfect O. She grinned at him when she realized he was looking at her. Her smile was stunning. Jimmy felt himself blushing. He cleared his throat.

"Class," he said, "I'd like to give you a first day assignment. Everyone pick a partner when I dismiss you. Not yet, class, _when I dismiss you_," he paused, glaring at a sulky looking boy in a blue sweatshirt. "Now then, when you find a partner you are to come up with an acronym for the word physics together. I assume you know what an acronym is, and if not, good luck to you. You all will have exactly two minutes. The team with the best acronym by vote of the class will be allowed to forgo any one short term assignment I give out this year." There were murmurs of excitement.

"Ready?" asked Mr. Neutron, twisting the timer, "All right then, GO!" The classroom erupted in shuffling and shouting. The students paired off, calling to each other from across the room.

"OK, class," shouted Mr. Neutron, "Start thinking of your acronyms!" The girl in the second row had paired up with a tall, gangly kid in a collared shirt. She was giggling at something, and Jimmy realized, annoyed, that he was staring again. She was undeniably attractive. So damned attractive.

The clock ticked on. Blue sweatshirt and his partner were throwing pencils at the ceiling. Mr. Neutron raised his eyebrow at them briefly; blue sweatshirt sheepishly sat back down and lowered his head.

"Advanced placement students!" bellowed Jimmy, "Need I remind you that there are only thirty seconds remaining? Tick tock, kiddies!"

The timer sounded; its shrill ringing sent the students into a panicked flurry and the classroom into general chaos. Mr. Neutron cleared his throat once again.

"Take your seats, students," he said, "And we will begin presentations. Volunteers before victims." The girl in the second row raised her hand.

"Yes, you," said Jimmy, checking his seating chart, "Miss Svetka, is it? Brave girl." She nodded and rose, signaling to her partner who dragged himself up to join her in the front of the classroom.

"I-", began the girl.

"Your names?" interrupted Mr. Neutron.

"Oh," she said, "I'm Katrina Svetka, and this is Christopher Marks." She looked at her teacher nervously; he nodded.

"Anyway," she continued, "Here goes." She proceeded to deliver her acronym, something of a silly nature like "Pies Hate Yak's Socks Isn't Cool So?, causing the class to erupt in laughter. But Mr. Neutron barely noticed. Katrina looked hauntingly familiar to him, like a song he'd once known by heart but long forgotten. He'd seen his share of attractive female high school kids, he was used to that, so he couldn't figure out why Katrina effected him so. What was so extraordinary about her? She stood in front of the class looking shy and awkward as any fifteen year old girl. Her modest little pink sweater and knee length skirt were hardly provocative clothing choices. Not even her partner, the tall boy, seemed to find anything remarkable about her at all. She took her seat.

"Next," said Mr. Neutron, aware that Katrina was watching him with those luminous brown eyes of hers. Blue sweatshirt's hand shot up.

"Yes, Mr.," Jimmy checked his chart again, squinting in disbelief, "Estevez? Are you related to Sheen Estevez?"

"Yes, sir," said blue sweatshirt proudly, "He was my father." Jimmy looked confused.

"Was?" he asked the calm student, "What do you mean, was?"

"My father died serving this country," said the boy, sticking his chin out with pride, "He was an honorable man." Jimmy could hardly believe his ears. Sheen. There was a long, awkward pause.

"Now then," said Jimmy, shaking himself to his business-like manner, "Are you going to present….Mr. Estevez?" The boy rose.


	3. Betty's Daughter

Jimmy watched his students file out of the classroom. He listened to them talk about his class as they exited.

"He seems tough…."

"…Hilarious acronyms…"

"…Omg that Estevez kid…."

Most of the students avoided Jimmy's gaze on their way out, but Sean Estevez looked him right in the eye as he left. Jimmy felt a pain of homesickness then, for his old friends, his old life, for Sheen. Yet, in a moment it was gone, floating away like a breeze carried away by a gust of wind. Jimmy continued to watch as the last student left the class room. He then turned around and sucked in his breath slight shock.

"Miss Svetka," he said, surprise in his voice, "What are you doing here?" She whipped around, startled, and tripped over her backpack. Jimmy chuckled good-naturedly.

"My…my backpack's zipper is stuck," said Katrina, "My b-books, they keep falling out." Her round eyes were shining with intimidation, her cheeks red with embarrassment. She dropped a pencil and it rolled across the floor.

"It's all right," said Mr. Neutron. He knelt to pick up the pencil and brought it to her. She reached out a shaking hand and bashfully took it from him, eyes on the floor. She then gathered her books in her arms and clumsily began to stand. When she had risen, her eyes traveled to meet Jimmy's. They stood observing each other for a moment.

"Well, goodbye, Mr. Neutron," she said finally, "See you tomorrow!" and with that, she hurried out the door and down the hallway to her next class. Jimmy rubbed his temples and leaned against his desk. His headache today was nearly unbearable. He went to the corner and turned on the coffee machine, pressing the little red button with his index finger. There was a small knock.

"Mr. Neutron?" asked a voice. Jimmy sighed.

"Come in," he said.

"Thank you," and a tall woman with dark hair pulled up in a tight bun and beginning to gray at the sides walked in. She looked as if she'd once been very beautiful, but all the prettiness and girly-ness had been rubbed out of her by years of strict rules and monotonous paper work. Now her face was a mass of sharp lines and hard features. Her plain clothes brought of the bony delicate structure of her body, and altogether she looked like the type of person who never had dirt under her finger nails and always vacuumed under the sofas. Her thick black glasses made her look both intelligent and distant.

"Hello, Ms. Quinlan," said Jimmy politely, "What brings the principal of Retroville High to my humble classroom?" She sniffed, and tapped her clip board.

"As you are aware," she began, very businesslike, "You have a younger student this year in your class." Jimmy blinked. He had not been aware.

"Her name is Miss Svetka," continued the principal impatiently, but quickly regained her composure. Oh, thought Jimmy.

"Oh, she's younger? How much?" he asked, feeling dumb. He should really learn to read the memos he received.

"A sophomore," said Ms. Quinlan skeptically, "A sophomore who also happens to be my daughter."

"Your…" said Jimmy, "She's-"

"Yes," said Ms. Quinlan, cutting him off, "Usually she lives with her father, but there's been a mix up with him," she eyed Jimmy sharply, which clearly said, _which is none of your business_, and then finished, "So she's here with me for the time being." Jimmy heard he coffee machine go off, and excused himself. He poured the rich smelling coffee into a mug and felt the heat from it soothe him through his hands. When he returned, he stirred sugar into the dark liquid and waited for Ms. Quinlan to continue. She didn't. The silence was unnerving.

"So…," said Jimmy to break the awkwardness, "you want me to keep an eye on her?" The principal nodded.

"She's just, very young, and new to the school, and," she paused, "Well, will you?"

"Of course, Betty," said Mr. Neutron smiling warmly, "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thank you, Jimmy," said the principal, sounding relieved and smiling back a little. When she smiled she seemed a bit more like the sweet, beautiful young girl she had once been, before a hard life had roughened her soul. Jimmy grinned at her, encouraged by the lightened mood.

"Katrina's a sophomore in advanced physics? You must be so proud," he said, "I haven't had someone so young in here for years! She must be a real smart one." Betty nodded.

"Indeed, Katrina is extremely bright," she said, looking away. Jimmy pried her curiously for more with his eyes, but she averted them. The mood had changed somehow.

"I'll be seeing you then, Mr. Neutron?" she said, rising.

Jimmy looked back down and stirred his coffee around some more.

"Yeah, see you around Ms. Quinlan." And off she went, clicking away down the hall in her plain black stilettos.


	4. My Best Friend

Jimmy sat in the teacher's lounge, sipping his coffee nonchalantly. He was tired. A full day of teaching, and he still had an enormous stack of tests to grade later. It was depressing to have nothing to look forward to but a lonely night watching reality shows and eating large quantities of Cheezits. He was too tired to think. He was too tired to talk. He was too tired even to pay attention to the game on TV.

He twisted the gold wedding band around his ring finger. _I love you more every day_, it was engraved around its smooth, round surface. The day he and Cindy were married, the ring bearer had tripped and the rings were tossed high in the air. They landed in the pipe organ and took several hours to procure. This memory always brought a smile to Jimmy's face, remembering the startled look on Cindy's pretty face as the little gold circlets landed with a plink-plonk into the wide mouth of the bass pipe. It was full of happy memories, that day he's begun his life with her. He remembered the champagne, and the cheers and well-wishes, the sweet smell of Cindy's yellow hair, but most of all he remembered the look on Betty's face when he turned to the crowd after he and Cindy had shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Betty's eyes were shining with happiness and joy. Tears ran down her cheeks and she'd smiled at him with the bravest, most loving smile Jimmy had ever seen.

Cindy would be working late tonight again. Her job at the patent company as an important attorney kept her late often. Sometimes he missed her through the late nights, but often he was glad for the quiet solitude that brought the peace of sleep. But too often his dreams were far more accurate than he was comfortable with. For awhile, Jimmy became and insomniac when Cindy was gone. He hurt inside, lying in bed with his eyes wide open, terrified of his own memories. Sometimes Jimmy still felt that way, even when he held his wife beneath the covers, her lemon scented hair spread across his chest.

For awhile, Jimmy sat in the lounge, his eyes following the other teachers but not really seeing them. For awhile, Jimmy didn't think at all, only watched with hollow eyes and drank his coffee in long, slow droughts. When he finally came to, he was alone. The others had gone. The shadows on the floor had flooded the room, staining every corner dark. Jimmy looked at the clock. It was late. He sighed and rose to his feet.

As Jimmy drove home in his little brown station wagon, he thought about his friends. He thought about Sheen and Carl, Cindy and Libby, but most of all, he thought about Betty. From freshman to senior year, all through high school, Betty had been Jimmy's best friend. She was popular, with her intelligence and beauty, and had her pick of the highest social order for friends. But for some reason, she never left Jimmy's side. Whenever he needed a friend, for whatever reason, she was always there. She understood him in all the ways he needed to be understood. She accepted his flaws, took pleasure in his happiness, and always knew exactly what he needed. Betty was as rare a friend as Jimmy had ever encountered, but he had never been that kind of friend for her. She was selfless, brave, and utterly compassionate—but Jimmy did not possess these qualities. Next to her, Jimmy always felt selfish and weak. She never blamed him for any of his weaknesses, but he couldn't help but hate her a little for being so good to him.

He had grown up, and Betty had never left his side. He'd gone to a different college than she had, but she'd written him every week without fail. She always had time for him. Sheen and Carl had kept in contact but this lessened, and as time went on eventually the letters and calls stopped all together. Libby and Cindy disappeared completely almost right away, until Jimmy discovered Cindy was going to his same college. They'd met up and started going out beginning in sophomore year. Betty never dated, but she congratulated Jimmy and supplied him with endless advice and support through his endeavors.

Jimmy had proposed to Cindy the night they'd graduated. She accepted and they spent night after night together, planning their wedding and dreaming of the future. Jimmy's heart had been so full; he'd forgotten to write back to Betty. She kept up her end of the correspondence for awhile, but had given up and stopped writing when Jimmy ignored her for several months. All the same, Jimmy had invited her to the wedding, and she'd been there for him like always, cheering him on and lending him her strength. They never picked up correspondence again.

Being married to Cindy for six years had made Jimmy realize how much he missed his friendship with Betty. He missed her concerned brown eyes, her warm smiles, and laughter that seemed to fill a room with its loud, full quality. Cindy was a shrewd business woman. She kept their house spotlessly neat, and her high paying job allowed Jimmy to do what he love best, teaching, and still live a life of leisure and comfort. But at the same time, she didn't like to talk to Jimmy the way Betty had. She didn't seem to find conversation particularly interesting, and unlike Betty, Cindy was about as sensitive to Jimmy as an artichoke. She loved him in her own way, and was a faithful wife by all standards, but the depth of their relationship was limited. Jimmy had given up trying to make Cindy open up to him. It was not her nature to be personal. But Jimmy still loved her, never wanted anything more of her. His regret that she was not more open was a dim one, and it was fairly easy to brush aside.

Jimmy had begun teaching at his old high school when he'd met Betty again. She was young, and beautiful as ever, full of aspiration and joy. She was the language arts teacher, and he taught chemistry, and they'd picked their friendship again as if it had never flickered. She told him about her dreams of becoming a missionary and traveling the world, he told her about Cindy and his inability to feel emotionally close to her. Betty had a way of knowing exactly what to say to make Jimmy feel better. She could make him believe in himself, in a better future, and could always show him the brighter side of the world. She also, as it became more apparent every day, was completely, totally, and irrevocably in love with him. Somewhere along the line, he had realized she always had been, ever since high school. It was strange he hadn't realized it before. Not that she had ever pushed herself on him, or even hinted at her feelings at all, but suddenly he could see it in her eyes. He could feel it when she spoke, or touched his hand to comfort him. He could read it in the notes she left in his cubby. She was obvious without being obvious. This scared him. He loved Cindy, he really did, but he could no longer deny his attraction to Betty and her dynamic personality. It was getting hard to come home after work, hard not to resent Cindy's cold negligence. Jimmy began to close off to Betty. How could he keep up his friendship with her and continue living the way he did?

She noticed, of course she did, but she seemed to respect Jimmy's decision. There was no doubt in Jimmy's mind that Betty knew exactly what had happened. He could feel her pain and humble acceptance when he met her eyes in the halls, but she never tried to challenge it. And strange as it seemed, this maddened Jimmy. Ignoring Betty did not make the gap between himself and Cindy any smaller, nor did it make the connection he felt with Betty any less. Jimmy began to resent Betty and her selfless, loving heart. He began to hate how soft and pretty she looked when she walked with the sunlight on her face. Soon, he became almost mad with resentment for Cindy's flatness, and instead of Cindy, he directed this feeling at Betty. How dare she waltz in and turn his life upside down? Hadn't he been happy before she'd come along? How dare she love him? _How dare she?_ Jimmy became an insomniac. Night after night he lay in bed, Cindy sleeping peacefully unaware in his arms as he churned with rage.

One day Betty had been in her classroom, grading papers, and Jimmy had stormed in. He'd locked the door behind him and looked straight into her confused, chocolate colored eyes. The world felt blurry, he was blinded by rage and hatred, love and anger all at once. He'd grabbed her small shoulders and thrown her to the ground. He couldn't remember her moving a single muscle in protest, or uttering a single cry. But as he slid off her skirt, he'd looked into her eyes again, and in them he read something that made him even angrier. In her eyes was still that unconventional love that had always been there. He'd never wanted to hurt someone more than he wanted to hurt her at that moment. How could she still love him? Why couldn't she just leave him alone?

When he'd left her, there were tears running down her face, and she sat defeated on the classroom floor. She looked up and him as he closed the door, mascara tracks etched on her white cheeks, and said, "I forgive you, Jimmy."

Jimmy had never gotten over the guilt of that day. He also never told anyone, for he was too ashamed. He was ashamed that he would never be the person Betty was, He had failed her. He had betrayed her.

Betty finally left the school to do missionary work in Africa, and Jimmy didn't see her for a long time. Then one day she'd come back, looking older and rougher, with gray hairs and wrinkles under her eyes, her youth and vitality gone. But the biggest difference was the eyes themselves. Something in them had died. The hope, the joy, the love of life and its wonders was gone.

She'd been appointed principal and had come back to the school where she had loved Jimmy and he had betrayed her. Jimmy was ashamed once again. He'd hidden from his past like a coward, but here was Betty, bravely facing the pain of her yesterdays without a trace of fear. He hid from her and her loving aura that had never disappeared. She always found him, but let him believe she hadn't. She still loved him.

Now Jimmy spent his days running away from his memories of her sad brown eyes, so full of love and life. The day he'd betrayed her, he'd also betrayed himself. He did not deserve her love. He didn't even want it. He'd gotten away with murdering her innocence and taking advantage of her greatest gift to him. He'd gotten away with it, and now the guilt would never leave him. She'd never relieve him of it, because she'd forgiven him.

As Jimmy drove home thinking of all these things and feeling like the devil himself, he saw a group of boys on the side of the road standing in a circle. Their malicious faces peered down at something in the center of their ring, as they kicked and spit upon it, sneering at each other and laughing. He pulled over and the boys scattered, running in all different directions. He looked down at what had been in the center of the circle. He gasped.

"Betty?" he said breathlessly, gazing down at the bloody lump at his feet. A single groan confirmed his fear, and just like that, Jimmy felt his life change again because of her love for him.


	5. Goodbye, My Love

"Oh, God, Betty, those bastards! Oh, God."

The words tumbled over each other from Jimmy's mouth as he stooped over Betty's broken body. Her eyes fluttered open and shut, and her breath escaped her body in wild, ragged gasps.

"Betty? Can you hear me?? Betty!" Other cars had pulled up along side them by now. Confused spectators gathered around the scene, adding a crescendo of voices to the rushing sounds of the highway. Jimmy stood amidst them all, his mind confused and tumultuous. This was Betty Quinlan, he thought, the only person who had ever understood him. This was Betty Quinlan, who had been his middle school crush. This was Betty Quinlan, the girl whose life he'd ruined. This was Betty Quinlan who had always, always loved him. Now, for the first time since high school, she was leaving him. She was leaving him and never coming back. For a second her eyes opened wide and stared into Jimmy's.

"Betty?"

"Jimmy."

"Betty, hold on, help is coming, they'll fix everything…oh God Betty-"

"Jimmy, listen," she coughed, blood issuing from her mouth and staining the sidewalk. Jimmy's heart burst, and he swallowed tears as he knelt to her side. He took her hand in his, and rubbed his thumb over her fingers.

"I'm listening."

"Katrina," she rasped, "Katrina…"

"What about her?" Jimmy asked, tears blurring his vision.

"You," she said shakily, "you…she's…yours…."

"Mine? My what? Katrina?" Jimmy was totally bewildered, unable to comprehend her words.

"I'm sorry, didn't tell you, didn't want you to feel burdened," she said.

"Wait," said Jimmy, "Are you trying to say that Katrina's my daughter? That after I...then you….and she…" Jimmy's head spun, as he occupied the space between disbelief and utter incomprehension. Katrina, beautiful, smart, gentle Katrina, born from his act of betrayal and cold hatred….

"Take care of her," said Betty, "Please. She's so beautiful, Jimmy. And smart, just like her father." Betty smiled at him weakly then coughed, spurting blood from her mouth. Jimmy couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

"Oh God, Betty, I'm so sorry," he wept, "So, incredibly sorry."

"Shh," she said, "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for you."

"No, Betty," he said, "I'm the one who wasn't good enough for you. You're perfect. I never deserved your friendship. You're the only one who ever gave a damn. I just…." But his sobs were then uncontrollable.

"Jimmy," said Betty softly, her breathing nearly louder than her voice.

"Yes?"

"I love you," she said, looking into his blue eyes, "I love you so much. No matter what you choose to do, I love you with everything and more than I am. Jimmy, you're so special, so amazing, don't forget that…and if it's not to much to ask, please don't forget me…"

"Never, never, never, Betty, come back Betty! Don't leave me, I can't bear it, Betty!" Jimmy sobbed hysterically and grabbed Betty's head. He lifted her chin and kissed her on the forehead.

"Betty, if you make it out of this I swear I'll make it all up to you," he promised. His voice was desperate and sure. But Betty breathed in deeply. Her eyes fluttered open again and looked at him one more time, love and care and comfort and innocence still there, though fading…

"Love her, please, just love her…."said Betty. And then went limp.

"Who?? BETTY!! Who??" screamed Jimmy. But he knew she couldn't hear him. The ambulance screeched to a stop, and men in white coats came out and loaded Betty's limp body onto a stretcher. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, silently rolling before Jimmy's eyes. His body shook with sobs too violent and forceful to make a sound, and the noises had dulled and all he heard was the siren's endless, mournful call. Then the doors of the ambulance slammed shut, and she was gone.


	6. New Beginnings

Jimmy stayed in the emergency room all night. She'll be okay, he kept telling himself. She'll be fine. But he knew that was not true. He knew she would not be fine.

When the sun rose the next day, a doctor who looked as if he'd seen the devil himself emerged from the white depths of the hospital. His eyes said what his voice didn't need to.

"She's gone…" Betty was dead.

"…Did everything we could…." Betty Quinlan was dead.

"…have any family?" She was dead.

"Were you and she related in some way…" Betty….

Jimmy didn't know whether or not he'd answered the doctor's questions. He wasn't aware of it if he had. The doctor's eyes looked sorry. His quick, furtive little movements told Jimmy that he was uncomfortable. Was it even possible to be comfortable with death? Or was it Jimmy that made him uncomfortable? Did he sense that Jimmy would never received the redemption he so desperately desired, and that all hope of self-forgiveness on Jimmy's part had died with the thin, middle aged woman with soft brown eyes? He couldn't have known, could he? Were Jimmy's secrets more obvious than he'd assumed?

"She asked us to tell you," the doctor interrupted his thoughts, "Your daughter, Katrina, was it? Already has a legal guardian. Her step father. Nick Svetka. And he's agreed to take full custody of the girl. So you don't have to assume parental duties." Jimmy nodded. The doctor looked at him, expecting Jimmy to say something, but Jimmy remained silent. The doctor then gave him a last glance before disappearing once again down the echoing corridors. Jimmy sat back down in the scratchy gray waiting room seats. He was too drained to feel the pain he knew he should be feeling. He only felt numb. He stood slowly and walked to the parking lot.

Jimmy got to his car and felt a presence behind him. It was the soft feeling that pair of sad, brown eyes were watching him from behind. Tears welled in his eyes as he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder, and he turned.

"Betty?" he whispered. The girl bit her lip and touched his chin.

"Katrina," she said.

"What?" asked Jimmy, confused.

"I'm Katrina," she said simply.

"Oh," said Jimmy, looking down. She was still looking into his face with her round, wide eyes. She seemed to be waiting for him to speak.

"So," said Jimmy unsteadily, "Need a ride home?" The words escaped his mouth after climbing up his dry, scratchy throat. She nodded and walked around to the passenger's seat of Jimmy's car. The velvety leather seats groaned beneath them, as the awkward pair plunged into the fading evening. They were wound in their own thoughts, tightly engulfed in the darkness of tragedy, holding them each so fiercely that although they sat side by side, the silence between them was vast and deep. They drove on for hours, driving to no where really; maybe they were just trying to drive away from a nightmare in hopes of leaving it behind.

"She had the keys," said Katrina, surprising Jimmy.

"What?" he said, confused. Katrina's cold white hands were clasp in her lap, and her face was painfully blank. She looked tragic and beautiful, thought Jimmy, and the pale gray light that fell over her made her look like a raindrop hanging onto a cloud, quivering for release.

"My mom had the keys," said Katrina, "I'm locked out of my house." Jimmy didn't know what to say. He looked down, new tears burning his eyes. Then, all of the sudden, Katrina burst into tears.

"Oh God, Oh God," she moaned, "Oh God!" and tears poured down her face, as she collapsed onto the hard dashboard with such force, Jimmy cringed at the thud the collision made. Seeing her so desolate, so broken made Jimmy's own tears fall from his eyes in gushing falls. He grabbed his daughter in his arms and buried his face in her tangled hair. Immediately gentle smell of marigolds and summer invaded his nostrils, as he held her, he felt a sudden desire to protect her and keep her like this forever. He felt ashamed at his absence in her life, and suddenly remembered Betty's last words.

"Love her, please, just love her," Betty had said on her dying breathe to Jimmy. At the time Jimmy hadn't understood it. He'd been too panicked at the time to consider what Betty had meant by this last pleading wish. Now he did. He felt the child, helpless in his arms. His child. His Katrina. Betty's Katrina.

"Hey, Katrina," said Jimmy, "You want to stay with me?"


End file.
